04/10/2011

We've returned to our everyday home however the scent of Cambria-by-the-sea lingers inside of me. It's really true and I'm a believer that springtime along with bird songs and pretty flowers brings with it a new hope for everyday life. Sometimes the ho-hum of a daily routine is comforting yet spicing the month up with a trip to the Storybook Cottage definitely renews me.

What a wonderful surprise to see GREEN everywhere! Cambria has had more rainfall this year and it shows the garden seems so full of life.

The Japanese Maple on our last visit was nothing but a twig. I wondered if it was dying.

This Little Deer is but another example of life. We often have deer visits.

Here is another of our visitors. Seeing a wild turkey was so cool! We get all excited and grab cameras and wish the moment could last a bit longer.

Getting the key into the back door is always a moment of glory. Why? Two months ago after a painter took the doors down to paint them, we were locked out and wondered after our long trip what to do next. The lock was broken. The front door has a special lock and can't be opened from outside. We came in by way of the dining room however at the time we did not realize we had the option. Live and learn.

We sang our hello's to our little garden elf and we were in!

The garden oaks are scattered everywhere throughout the cottage' s garden. Looking soooo...happy!

Just look at all those leaves, loving spring all over again! I've lived in California since 1980. On my arrival in January of that year, I was overcome with joy.... NO SNOW. As the years passed, I've learned that we do not have eternal summer. Gardens awaken in the springtime and begin once again to grow. Winter is a time for garden sleeping.

I took this shot of a very green Cambria on our way out of town.

This is a photo of the Carrizo Plain National Monument off of Highway 166. The sign for the turn off is easy to miss. Yup, we did miss the turn. The turn off looks and is a narrow dirt road next to a very beat up gas station. It looks more like an entrance to a driveway. We had imagined something a bit fancier. We stopped here on our way to Cambria. What do you think of all that yellow?

04/08/2011

Today Storybook Cottage is linking over with the Link party for bloggers on "Follow Friday 40 and over!" and "You like Me Friday Blog Hop".

Storybook Cottage is a blog about a family vacation home in the Central Coast area of California. It will feature the little town of Cambria along with all of my other loves, vintage decorating, gardening, knitting, and oil painting. My children are grown and are now off on their own. The Storybook has become a meeting place for our family to gather for holidays and summer vacations. I hope you will leave a comment and subscribe to my blog. Hugs....